


Dancing in the Rain

by Hino_Hime



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: AU, Alice In Wonderland AU, Confessions, Developing Relationship, Established Relationship, Fighting, Flowers, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Language of Flowers, Light Angst, Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Mutual Pining, Pining, Pre-Relationship, Rain, Scars, Sharing a Bed, Stars, Story within a Story, Temporary Amnesia, Vacation, episodic, florist!keith, professor!shiro
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-24
Updated: 2018-06-30
Packaged: 2019-05-27 21:53:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15034100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hino_Hime/pseuds/Hino_Hime
Summary: Keith and Shiro talk about different episodes of their relationship while they wait for the storm to pass...My drabbles for Shiro Ship Week 2018Prompts:Day 1 - FlowersDay 2 - ProposalDay 3 - StarsDay 4 - AmnesiaDay 5 - AU (Alice in Wonderland)Day 6 - Bed-SharingDay 7 - Scars





	1. Flowers

He let out a sigh just as he pulled his old rusty car onto the highway. Thankfully, his working-shifts never forced him to drive during the pandemonium that was the rush hour, but he still was tense.  
Yet, he had to admit that this might had not all that much to do with the traffic jam that started to form, making him curse under his breath. By now it was way too late to drive through the smaller streets – he would just had to sit it out.  
Reaching over he searched his bag for his phone, eyes glued to the street. Nothing was moving, and from the amount of red lights in front of him, nothing was going to move for a while. As he looked down he saw the missed call symbol flashing, making him groan.  
  
“Of course you would call...”, he mumbled under his breath, biting his lower lip, his mind racing.  
  
Another glance through the window showed the same picture – only a long line of fuming cars. As he looked a bit further up he saw that dark clouds were starting to form over the highway and he remembered that the weather-forecast had said something about a storm hitting the town tonight.  
He let his mind wander a bit, only coming back to reality when he felt his phone buzzing in his hand. As he read the Caller ID he thought for a short moment to not answer it, but given the circumstances it would only do more harm than good.  
Bracing himself he pressed the green button and held the phone to his ear.  
  
“Keith? Are you alright? I called but you didn't answer and I just saw on the news that there was a huge traffic jam forming on the highway...”, his husband's voice was filled with relief.  
  
“I am alright, Shiro. I just don't know when I'll be home tonight. Nothing's been moving for a solid ten minutes and I am way past the last exit.”, he felt guilt creeping up inside of him, remembering today's breakfast.  
  
There was a silence between them after that, neither knowing how to go from there. They knew that they had to talk about it. They knew it was childish. But they also knew that discussing such important matters over the phone was not advisable.  
So they stayed put, carefully waiting for the other to make a move.  
  
“Where are you exactly?”, Shiro asked, making Keith raise an eyebrow.  
  
“I am almost at the slope above the furniture-shop. I can see their big billboard. Why?”, he couldn't hide his confusion.

 

“I was just... curious.”  
  
“Shiro..!”  
  
“Gosh, Keith, I am worried, okay? Agitated if you want to call it. I am restless. You've just stormed off this morning and now you're stuck in a traffic jam and a storm is approaching...”, Keith could hear his inner struggle, almost seeing him pacing the rooms of their apartment – and it killed him.  
  
“I will update you once something moves again, ok? Don't worry.”, he knew that this would hardly calm Shiro down, but he knew of nothing better to say.  
  
“Yeah... I will see you then.”, Shiro mumbled before the line went dead.  
  
With more force than he initially intended to, Keith threw his phone onto the seat next to him before he buried his face in his hands as if it could drown out the thoughts and memories that just kept coming.  
As the scenes played out in his head again he couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh. It was childish, it was stupid. And yet it had become his reality.  
  
  
  
_It was a morning like any other._  
Shiro was the first to get up and prepare breakfast, before he would come back and wake Keith with a few playful kisses on his nose and forehead. Keith was hard to wake, especially on Fridays when he already had a full week of rather early mornings behind him.  
  
“I've prepared your favourite but I'm afraid you'd have to get out of bed to get it.”, Shiro teased him with a boyish grin.  
  
With a huge yawn Keith finally got up – he knew that he just had to – and followed his husband to the kitchen. Slumping onto the chair across Shiro, he tiredly blinked a few times, trying to focus. He was always amazed how Shiro was already so composed at this hour, reading articles while he sipped his tea, his eyes dancing across the pages, shining brightly.  
It always took his breath away.  
This morning however, he watched as Shiro carefully read a letter, his brows furrowed.  
  
“Are you alright?”, he asked.  
  
Shiro just hummed, “Yeah. I just read their answer to my declining. I don't like how they try to shower me with compliments.”  
  
“Declining? Which declining?”, even in his still tired state did Keith began to feel irritated – they talked about everything so it was unusual for Shiro to keep anything from him.  
  
“Don't look at me like that.”, he chuckled,”I didn't tell you because it was never an option in the first place.”  
  
“Which. Declining.”  
  
Now it was Shiro who looked irritated, “They wanted me to teach at a University half the globe away. Of course that's not an option.”  
  
Keith just gaped at his husband, anger rising up inside of him despite his mind telling him to stay reasonable. This was not the time and place to discuss this.  
  
He almost knew the answer when he asked, “Why not?”  
  
“Because we've just moved in here a couple of months ago. And even more importantly, you finally opened your flower-shop – of course we won't move so far.”, Shiro almost sounded as if he had to defend himself.  
  
“You didn't even asked me!”, his voice was louder than he intended, and way too aggressive too.  
  
“Because there was no choice to make!”  
  
At this, Keith snapped, “Stop to always put me first and think about yourself just once! I can open up a stupid shop anywhere in the world!”  
  
Without realizing it, he had gotten up and stared down at Shiro, who looked at him, heartbroken. Keith immediately regretted his words.  
  
“This is just stupid...”, he cursed under his breath before he stormed out of the kitchen and left the apartment without looking back, Shiro's tearful voice chasing him.  
  
  
  
By now it had started to rain, big drops falling on the long line of still unmoving cars. A quick look on the watch told Keith that he'd been standing there for almost an hour by now. His thoughts wandered, picturing Shiro in their apartment, waiting for him to text, to call and finally to come home.  
For a split second he contemplated about getting out of the car and just walk the few miles back home. He just wanted to open the door and fall into Shiro's arms.  
Resting his head against his seat he blankly looked out of the front window, following the streams that relentlessly poured down.  
  
That was when he thought he caught something between the cars.  
Raising an eyebrow he scanned the columns.  
  
“Maybe a bird...”, he muttered before he saw it again.  
  
Clearly, something was moving out there, and it was no bird.  
The rain made it hard to make out, but when the splotch of black and white and pink approached his car, Keith couldn't help but stare.  
Slowly the figure came into focus.  
  
It was Shiro.  
  
Without thinking Keith opened his door and walked up to his husband, who was already drenched. At the sight of Keith, however, he began to beam, not minding the rain at all.  
  
“Are you crazy? This is a highway!”, the words were out before Keith could stop himself.  
  
“I guess I am. But I just couldn't leave you alone.”  
  
There he was.  
He walked all the way from their apartment just to be with Keith.  
  
“Maybe we should get back in the car?”, Shiro's voice was gentle.  
  
“Yeah... sure... of course...”, why was he stammering?  
  
It was only after they had closed the doors that Keith noticed the big flower bouquet Shiro was holding up to him. It was so big, how did he missed it?  
  
Keith wasn't able to say anything, just staring at the arrangement, aw painted all over his face.  
  
“You know that I am not the best with words. So I thought maybe this could tell you...”, Shiro's voice was barely more than a shy whisper, sending Keith's thoughts into overdrive.  
  
Not only did he walk all the way to see him – especially after their fight over nothing – he also put so much effort into this bouquet to tell Keith something hardly anyone else would be able to read.  
He took the arrangement from Shiro, his eyes tearing up. How could he ever find the words to make up for this?  
  
“Looks like we're going to be here for a while...”, Shiro said, trying to make conversation, obviously embarrassed by his rather forceful act.  
  
For a moment, both seemed to think about their fight, before a silent agreement was met, to not discuss this any further – it would only ruin the mood.  
  
“At least we know how to wait...”, Keith replied with a snicker.  
  
“Oh, don't tell me you want to talk about these old stories again!”, his husband playfully rolled his eyes.  
  
Keith took a deep breath in, the flowers filling the car with a familiar scent, before he replied, “It's our story after all.”  
  
  
_A lily for love, devotion and gentleness._  
 _Tulips for 'home'._  
 _Pink roses for respect._  
 _White roses for admiration and longing._  
 _Gypsophila for surrender and devotion._


	2. Proposal

“ _The rain... reminds me of your proposal...”  
  
“Keith! Don't...”  
  
“Why not, I thought it was cute...”_  
  
  
  
It was hard to hide it. Especially from Keith, who looked at everything and everyone with curiosity, taking everything in, never missing a beat. The slightest change in Shiro's expression lead to him ask what was going on in his mind.  
He also had such an eye for details as well...  
  
Shiro snapped out of it, trying to concentrate on the task at hand, a slight blush painting his cheeks. He would've been embarrassed if anyone would see him like that, but being able to work from home clearly had advantages. The notes in front of him were a mess, there was no other word for it.  
With a muffled moan, Shiro lay his head on his desk, frustration flooding right through him.  
This had to be perfect but it seemed way harder once he had started planing for real. It had looked so much easier when it was just a vague idea, every possibility just made to be used.  
But now he wasn't even sure if any of those even met his standards...  
  
Or Keith's, to be more precise.  
  
He knew that he had to come up with something special for the most special person in his life but absolutely nothing seemed to be worthy.  
Another groan escaped him as he leaned back, staring up at the ceiling, his hair falling into his eyes.  
Proposing was such a vague idea when they had started dating almost a yer ago, both of them using the term rather lightly, but always with a hint of longing.  
  
For Shiro it was always clear that he wanted to spend his life with Keith, married or not. There was no one else that made him feel so safe and as if the whole world was only waiting for the both of them to conquer.  
Still, when they had talked about it a couple of days ago, there was this feeling blossoming inside of him telling him that the time might've come to start a family of their own.  
Thinking about this made Shiro's heart beat out of control, leading him to return to his notes.  
  
_Stargazing? Have a secret place!! Speech????  
Not on Wednesday, maybe Friday? → Cinema?  
Def. NOT a fancy dinner!_  
  
Raising an eyebrow he took his notes and threw them in the bin. Time was running out, he wanted to propose on their anniversary since they had already planned a nice outing so Keith would not notice that Shiro might be a tad bit more nervous than he normally was when they went out on a date.  
He put the pen down to the paper and started to write again.  
  
  
  
“This is definitely a special way of proposing!”, Matt said when he was presented with Shiro's idea the following day just as they finished their lecture, “It's awfully lot to do though...”  
  
“I know... I just feel that nothing else would be worthy...”, Shiro sighed.  
  
His friend shook his head, “He would think it's special if you'd asked him at Wendy's! He loves you, Shiro.”  
  
“He still deserves this.”, his voice was a tiny whisper.  
  
“I know he does... So let's get to work, we only have a week left!”  
  
“Matt, you're the best, I owe you!”  
  
  
  
It had been hard to hide the planning phase from Keith – the frustration, the anticipation, the nervousness – but actually trying to put everything together was even harder. Every remark lead Shiro to believe that his plans had failed and that his boyfriend was already aware of what he had in mind – it was nerve-wrecking.  
Still, somehow he managed to set everything up and not raise any suspicion.  
  
“You are crazy.”, Matt huffed, wiping the sweat from his forehead.  
  
Shiro just hummed absent-mindedly as he checked his list.  
They had put up the tent on the hill where they watched the meteor-shower in spring, he arranged some torches to illuminate the way up there, some balloons, candles and fairy-lights. Matt had mounted the tent with hidden boxes and for the music to automatically start once they reached it.  
  
“The food should arrive half an hour before we leave the house, so everything would be set once we start walking up here.”, Shiro muttered under his breath, his hand searching his pocket.  
  
“Yes, they just got back to me. I also set up the camera to record it all.”, Matt couldn't hide his grin.  
  
“Wait, what camera?”, anxiously Shiro flicked through the pages, making his friend laugh.  
  
“That was my idea, relax, Shiro. It's not on your list.”  
  
He let out a deep sigh, “...Thank you. Really. I wouldn't have been able to set this up without you.”  
  
Matt walked up to him and patted his shoulder, “Don't worry, he'll love it. Tomorrow will be perfect.”  
  
Swallowing hard Shiro tried to smile, “Yes... Perfect.”  
  
  
  
Except, nothing was perfect.  
They woke up to a storm, the rain gushing down, the wind blowing at fifty miles per hour, making walking outside a chore, let alone a romantic picnic among the stars.  
Shiro just stared out of the window, cursing himself.  
Of course it would rain.  
Of course he would forget to check the weather-forecast while his mind was set to come up with the most perfect idea.  
It was hard to hide his frustration from Keith who seemed rather happy to stay in and watch a movie, all ideas to go out and celebrate forgotten.  
  
“With you everyday is like a celebration anyway.”, he smiled while making breakfast.  
  
This made Shiro blush and avert his gaze. Clenching his fists he couldn't help but feel naïve for coming up with such a stupid idea.  
He would have to start again from scratch...  
  
“You know, I've been thinking about us, anniversary and all.”, Keith's voice was shy all of a sudden, his face flushed, “And... Well, in all those movies everything seems to be so big and pretentious. As if only the big things count? But with you...”  
  
He fell silent for a moment while Shiro couldn't help but stare at his boyfriend in awe. Not only was he clever but he also knew his way with words – something he himself always had difficulties with.  
  
“With you it's as if every morning is a special day. Having breakfast with you and help you with your tie when you're heading out to give another lecture about things I have no idea about... It feels like getting ready for our wedding. When I sit next to you while watching a movie and complain about all the plot-holes and you just laugh... What more can I ask for?”, Keith looked at Shiro with the most tender expression, making his heart skip a beat.  
  
“Keith...”, his name was like a prayer when he felt a buzzing feeling dancing in his chest.  
  
Without thinking, Shiro got up and walked over to his boyfriend, ignoring his own pink cheeks and shaking hands. He only looked at Keith, the whole world zooming in.  
  
His flushed cheeks.  
His slightly parted lips.  
His dark hair, still a mess from waking up.  
His eyes holding every secret, every promise, every answer.  
Keith...  
_His_ Keith...  
  
He swallowed hard and collected all his courage, “With you, I finally found a place to return to. I learned what a home was. You gave me the valour to dream.”  
  
Keith just looked at him with big round eyes, taking every little detail in, patiently waiting for Shiro to get his message across.  
  
“And with you I feel like dreaming the biggest, most daring dream there ever was. As if I just had to stretch out my hand and there would be the next big adventure for you and me. As if you brought the colours to my life and I learned how to dance in the rain.”, with this he took the small box out of his pocket and got down on his knee, making Keith gasp, “Would you like to dance with me and dare to dream the impossible? Keith Kogane, would you do me the honour and marry me?”  
  
There was a short silence, making Shiro nervous, questioning if he should've sticked to the plan of making the proposal a big happening. But when he saw a joyful smile and maybe a tear appear on Keith's face he knew that the whole idea of making the proposal a big deal was nothing for the two of them.  
He had been such an idiot.  


Instead of giving Shiro a straightforward answer, Keith closed the distance between them, tried to hug him and made them fall to the kitchen-floor, both giggling like little kids.  
  
“Is that a yes?”, Shiro playfully asked when he tenderly stroke Keith's cheek.  
  
The latter just hummed and held out his hand for Shiro to put on the ring. Once the ring was in place, Shiro took his hand and placed a gentle kiss on each finger, making Keith's face redden even more.  
  
“I love you, Keith.”  
  
“I love you too, Mr. Shirogane.”  
  
Shiro playfully nudged his fiancé, “Be careful, this might soon be your name as well!”  
  
With a quick movement, Keith placed a kiss on Shiro's lips, before a sheepish grin appeared on his face, “I can't wait..!”  
  
  
  
_“And you never noticed I was up to something?”_  
  
_“No, not at all! I just caught up when you got down on your knee!”_  
  
_“Amazing... You always notice everything...”_  
  
_“Will you finally tell me what surprise the storm back then had ruined?”_  
  
_“Hmm... Maybe one day.”_  
  
_“And that day is not today?”_  
  
_“No, not today...”_  
  
_“You really are a pain in the ass, Mr. Shirogane.”_  
  
_“That makes two of us, Mr. Shirogane.”_  
  
_“I hate you.”_  
  
_“No, you love me.”_  
  
_“Yes, I do... Damn your big brain... And gorgeous face...”_


	3. Stars

_The little boy ran as fast as his short legs could carry him, up and up and up, always further up the hill. He laughed and, despite the late hour, he didn't seemed to be tired at all._  
  
_His father called for him to slow down, his mother only shaking her head in amusement, “Shiro, stop! I am too old to keep up with a ten-year-old!”_  
  
_The boy only turned his head and flashed a grin but refused to slow down. This only resulted in him trapping over his own feet and fall flat to the ground. Within seconds his parents were next to him to assess the situation, but the boy only laughed as he tried to get rid of the grass and dirt, making his parents exhale in relief._  
 _Extending her hand, his mother helped him up and the three of them walked the last few metres together._  
  
_The moment they reached the top of the hill, Shiro let go of his mother's hand and just stared up into the sky, his mouth hanging open in amazement as he tried to take everything in. He had never seen anything like this before._  
 _Above him was the endless black canvas of the universe, painted with innumerable dots, big and small, forming galaxies and cosmic dreams. His eyes darted from one side to the other, not seeing a pattern, or an end – there wasn't even a beginning!_  
 _Shiro's eyes started to light up, mirroring the stars above him._  
  
_His young childish mind saw right through the physical concepts, way past the scientific impact the universe held for mankind. He was only able to see the sheer beauty in front of him, sparking something inside his chest. Surely, there must be even more beauty if he would only get a telescope! And how would the sky look from their hometown?! What was the name of the star right there, above the tree?_  
  
_Just as he wanted to turn around to his parents and ask them a million questions, did he catch a ray of light in the far corner of his field of vision. Moving his head he couldn't help but gasp._  
 _There was a shooting star making its way across the canvas, oblivious to its own grace._  
  
_“Make a wish, Shiro. Send it to the shooting star and hold onto it.”, his mother said as she walked up to him, pointing at the spectacle in front of them, ”But don't you ever tell anyone or the magic might vanish.”_  
  
_The boy quickly thought of something, closed his eyes and sent the wish up to the stars._  
  
  
  
The common believe was that Mondays are the worst days of the week. But surely, whoever had thought of that, never heard of vengeful Wednesdays.  
With a grunt, Shiro could not hide, he slumped into his office chair, trying not to explode. Massaging his temples did not really calm him down, but it gave his restless hands something to do. Of all the days they could chose to book him in for a conference slot it had to be next Wednesday. Normally, this wouldn't really bother him – especially since the conference he was attending was the biggest on astrophysics in the northern hemisphere – but just this once he wished that he could've declined.  
Or had his slot re-scheduled to Thursday at least.  
  
The reason was a childish one if he was honest with himself.  
On this day, the Phoenicids meteor-shower would be visible in his area for the first time in over sixty years. Of course, he had seen some other meteor-showers in the past, but this would've been the first he intended to watch with his husband. Furthermore, it was the day before their wedding anniversary...  
  
As if he could read Shiro's mind, his husband shot him a text message, asking how the meeting went.  
For a split-second, Shiro thought about lying but the feeling of utmost defeat nailed him down. With a loud sigh he dialled the number and waited for him to pick up.  
  
“Shiro? Is everything alright? I thought you're still at work...”, there was a slight hint of panic in his voice, as if he was ready to run to him if need be.  
  
“Everything's alright, Keith. I just got back to my office from this stupid meeting.”, Shiro couldn't hide the disdain in his voice, “And I got the slot. They let me talk about the event horizon alright...”  
  
“That's amazing! I knew you could do it! I am so proud of you!”, if he could, Keith would've jumped right through the phone.  
  
This thought made Shiro smile a little.  
  
“Yeah... It's cool.”  
  
“I hear a big _but_ hanging in the air...”  
  
“It's on Wednesday. No chance.”, saying those words out loud made them awfully real.  
  
Shiro felt as if he'd let Keith down, the silence from the other end of the phone only feeding into this feeling of helplessness. His husband had been so excited about stargazing and now it felt as if Shiro had taken it all away from him.  
  
“I'm sorry, Keith...”, he almost choked on his words, “I will make it up to you...”  
  
“It's not your fault. Don't worry about me. Surely we can watch the stars some other time.”, Keith tried his best to sound upbeat and ease Shiro's pain.  
  
“Yeah... You're right.”  
  
But Shiro didn't want some other time. He wanted to dance beneath the stars with Keith right into the morning of the day he said _I do._ He wished for Keith to feel the same spark that he himself found all those years ago. He longed for a kiss beneath infinity.  
  
Still, he kept his mouth shut, trying his best not to cry.  
  
  
  
The week dragged on, the preparations for the upcoming conference wrapping Shiro up completely. He hardly spent any time at home, leaving Keith to his own devices. The latter showed no signs of anger or resentment for he understood how important this was for Shiro and his career. Still, Shiro himself couldn't help but be angry. Somehow, whenever he went ahead and planned something for the two of them, it almost always ended in disaster.  
It had been the exact same thing with his proposal which, even after all these years, still gnawed at him.  
  
The dreaded Wednesday came around and Shiro wasn't even nervous about his panel, his mind only with Keith who talked about a recent encounter in his Flower-shop which lead to him being booked for a couple of bacherlorette parties.  
When the time came around for Shiro to leave, he couldn't help but mutter another ' _sorry'_ just as Keith saw to his tie. Keith didn't react to it in any kind of way since he knew there was nothing he could do to ease Shiro's mind.  
  
Instead he got to his toes and kissed his husband, “I will see you tonight. Take care and kick their butt!”  
  
Shiro involuntary had to smile at this, “It's a conference, not a battlefield.”  
  
Keith just playfully shrugged at this and Shiro was on his way.  
  
  
  
The conference was even more interesting than he had anticipated, yet it was buzzing with people, making his head spin by the time lunch came around. He met some of his former professors and even some of his students who slowly made their way into the field, making Shiro feel a certain sense of pride.  
His own talk was the last one scheduled in the evening, before everyone had to come together for a few drinks at least – Shiro's most dreaded activity. By the time he opened the floor for discussions he was already pretty beat, only wishing to return home to Keith and cuddle with him and watch one of those awful trash horror movies. Yet, there was no escaping the mandatory socializing that came with every such conference.  
With a silent sigh and a glance at his watch Shiro followed his colleagues to the bar.  
  
  
  
Shiro opened the door to their apartment a couple of minutes before midnight, his head hanging from the awful feeling of defeat. He had tried to get away from the crowd for hours on end, but every time he started to make his way out, someone stopped him and either wanted to make small-talk or discuss some points of the paper he had presented.  
It was tedious.  
  
Not only did he missed the meteor-shower, he also missed the evening with his husband who hopefully went to bed already.  
If only he'd never asked about the stupid conference in the first place...  
Looking along the hallway he could see a faint glow of light coming from the living room indicating that Keith was indeed still up and waiting. Shiro cursed himself as he slowly approached the room, an apology already forming in his mind.  
  
“Keith, I am sorry... You wouldn't believe how many...”, he started but stopped dead in his tracks when he walked into the room, “Wh-What..?!”  
  
Keith looked at him with big bright eyes, standing right in the middle of their living room, only illuminated by uncountable dots of light moving across the walls and ceiling.  
  
“I know it's not the same as watching a real meteor-shower, but I thought I could at least try to catch a few stars and get them home.”, Keith said coyly, carefully studying Shiro's face, “It was pretty hard to find a star projector that depicted the stars accurately so I hope at least some of them are correct.”  
  
Shiro took a few steps into the room, scanning the arrangements of the dots before his gaze rested on Keith, “They are all correct. All but one.”  
  
His husband furrowed his brows, “Which one? They promised it's fine...”  
  
With a tiny smile – the whole conference and meteor-shower forgotten – Shiro walked over to Keith, scooped him up and said, “Now they are all in the right place!”  
  
Keith just huffed but couldn't hide how flattered he was, once Shiro placed him back down. He then walked over to the couch and searched a black bag that was laying there.  
  
“From the moment you called and told me about the conference I knew that it would gnaw on you. I also knew that I couldn't just walk up to your boss and tell him to re-schedule your talk. And because I knew how much this means to you I thought I could finally show you how much you mean to me.”, Keith's voice was barely audible, “You know, with you I feel like nothing is impossible. You're always there to catch me, you know how to handle me when I'm angry and how to soothe me when a customer is talking shit. Just this once I wanted to dance with you through the stars and believe in the infinite that is us.”  
  
He turned and looked at Shiro, taking his breath away. No star ever shone so brightly.  
With a quick movement Keith ignited the sparkler he was holding up, closing the distance between the two of them yet once again.  
  
“Shooting stars are hard to catch. But if you close your eyes and believe, this will carry your wish as well.”, Shiro almost teared up at Keith's words, not able to answer anything.  
  
Instead he went ahead and closed his eyes, a grin painted on his face. He waited until his husband told him that the wish had been sent to the stars. Shiro then went ahead, batted his eyes open and let out a tiny laugh, making Keith look at him in confusion.  
He then went ahead and wrapped his arms around him and touched his forehead with his.  
  
“You really are a magician, Keith. Not only have you bewitched me, you also granted me my wish already!”  
  
“Which is?”  
  
“The infinite that is us.”  
  
  
  
_“I was wondering, did the wish you've made as a boy ever came true in the end?”_  
  
_“Sadly, no.”_  
  
_“What did you wish for?”_  
  
_“You... you don't want to know, trust me.”_  
  
_“Sure do. Tell me.”_  
  
_“But remember, I was only ten!”_  
  
_“Sure sure, whatever.”_  
  
_“Voltron action figurines.”_  
  
_“...What? Isn't that a cartoon-series?”_


	4. Amnesia

They sat together at breakfast, laughing about one of Shiro's bad jokes while they tried to dig into their food. It was a bright Friday and they made plans for the weekend since both of them were not tied up by work for the first time in ages. And since the weather-forecast said something about mild temperatures, Keith brought forward the idea of getting out of the city and visit the tiny village where they finally tied the knot.  
  
“We can leave right after I come home after lunch, so we have two full days.”, Shiro suggested while he put on his shoes and looked at his reflection in the mirror to see if his hair was in place.  
  
Keith walked over to him and tenderly put a stray-hair away, “So we have ourselves a deal. Don't you dare to work overtime today!”  
  
Shiro just playfully rolled his eyes as he promised to just give his lecture and head home immediately after that.  
  
Only, he didn't.  
  
  
  
Keith sat at the dinner table, notes spread all over it, a tiny smile on his face. If everything worked out fine he would open his own flower-shop within a few weeks. It's been a while since the one he worked at had closed down, forcing Keith into different jobs he just didn't enjoy in the slightest.  
It was Shiro who nudged him time and again to go ahead and open a shop on his own, never doubting a single moment that this would not fail. His trust in Keith was infinite.  
As he worked through different concepts for the ads he wanted to run beforehand and how the shop should be called his phone went off.  
Keith quickly looked at the time, raising an eyebrow. Shiro barely left half an hour ago so who would call him?  
  
Without another glance he picked up the phone a feeling of foreboding bubbling up inside of him.  
  
“Mr. Shirogane... Keith Shirogane?”, the female voice from the other side sounded a bit too tense to his liking.  
  
“Yes. Who's there?”, he needed to bite back the question he dreaded to ask the most.  
  
“Mr. Shirogane, I am sorry to disturb your day but your husband has been brought to our hospital a couple of minutes ago and-”  
  
“What!? How...”, Keith jumped to his feet, his voice rising as panic flooded right through him.  
  
“Please calm down, Mr. Shirogane. Your husband is alive and breathing. He was run over by a car on the crossing in front of the university. Thankfully some by-passer called the ambulance immediately. Are you free to come over so we can continue our discussion with his doctor?”, the woman clearly tried her best to calm Keith down again, knowing all too well that he was not snapping at her.  
  
He breathed deeply for a few moments, forcing his mind to the immediate task at hand, “Yes. I will be there as fast as I can.”  
  
Once the line went dead Keith just stared at his phone, not abel to process the information he'd just received. Shiro... His Shiro was in the hospital. Some dumbass had run him over and just left him there...  
This was just so wrong. All of it.  
Shiro was just sitting there next to him a mere hour ago, joking and looking at him with his blazing eyes and his boyish smile.  
How could this be a memory already?  
  
  
  
He arrived at the reception, panting, his hair a mess. The woman behind the counter immediately knew who he was as she approached him with a somber yet tender expression.  
  
“Mr. Shirogane, I assume.”  
  
“Where's Shiro... Where's my husband?”, his voice was a plea, even to his own ears.  
  
“Right at this moment the doctors are with him to thoroughly evaluate his situation. It will be a few minutes until -”  
  
“I can't... I need to see him...”, there was no force behind his words, tears welling up, “Please...”  
  
The receptionist looked at him with a sad expression, “I understand you very well, still, I'm afraid you have to wait until our specialists are finished running their tests.”  
  
Breathing deeply Keith nodded, “Can I at least... Know where his room is?”  
  
For the following minutes the receptionist did her best to take his mind off the gnawing thoughts and rising panic. Keith was very thankful for this small distraction.  
Yet he felt the whole weight of the situation again when another female voice called out to him, making him turn.  
Behind him stood a woman in doctor's uniform, patiently waiting for him to react.  
  
“Yes... That's me. How's Sh-... How's my husband?!”  
  
The doctor gestured him to follow her as she walked a few meters along the corridor before she turned to him, her face in an almost helpless expression, making his heart sink.  
  
“Mr. Shirogane, your husband was run over by a drunk driver this morning and left laying on the crossing. A passerby called the ambulance just in time.”, that much he already knew yet he still tried to brace himself for the impact, “His ribs are bruised and his right arm is broken, but thankfully, apart from a few more bruises all over his body, his organs are in almost perfect condition.”  
  
There it was, this big but hanging in the air between them, preventing Keith from feeling any kind of relief.  
  
“In some cases, such an impact can cause a trauma which affects the brain and memory.”  
  
“I thought his organs were alright? Isn't the brain an organ?”, Keith wasn't able to catch what the doctor wanted to tell him – his mind just refused to believe it.  
  
She let out a sigh, “I'm afraid your husband has suffered from such a trauma. He's not able to remember anything other than his name at the moment.”  
  
Keith froze at this, still not wanting to make this situation real. It was simply not possible.  
All the dreams they shared, all the memories they've made...  
All the fights, all the laughter...  
All the nights beneath the stars and the mornings in his arms...  
Gone?  
  
The doctor seemed to notice his inner turmoil, “Me and my team are very positive that this is only temporary. There are no indications for a long-term memory-loss.”  
  
“Can I see him now?”, clearly things were not as bad as it sounded.  
  
“Certainly... Just... Be prepared that he might not recognize you at first.”, there was reluctance in her voice, yet she lead Keith to the room Shiro was assigned to, “And give him time.”  
  
“I always have.”, Keith answered her as he opened the door and entered the room.  
  
It was a small yet cozy and sunny single room. The bed was placed right in front a huge window, looking over the park behind the hospital. Sitting upright, his dreamy gaze towards the outside world – Shiro. Keith's heart skipped a beat when he saw his dark hair kissed by the sunlight, his eyes reflecting the wonders he found in everything.  
Only at a second glance did he notice the cast and the bandages and plasters, making him wince silently.  
At the noise of the closing door Shiro looked over to Keith, his eyes widen.  
  
“Shiro...”, he breathed slowly walking over to the bed.  
  
There was no response at first, making Keith shiver. He tried to brace himself for the worst.  
  
“I... I know you...”, Shiro's voice was strained as he forced his mind to come up with the memory.  
  
“Don't force yourself... Please...”  
  
“No it's right there... You are important... very important to me...”  
  
At this Keith held his breath for a second, getting his hopes up just the slightest bit. Maybe the doctors were all wrong and this was not as serious as it looked at all. Surely they just wanted to prepare Keith for the worst case.  
  
“That is true.”  
  
Another moment passed, Shiro deep in thought, his brows furrowed slightly, before his eyes lit up and a smile appeared in his lips.  
  
“I remember now! You're my doctor!”  
  
Keith heard his heart break when he forced himself to remain calm, “...Yes... I am your doctor.”  
  
  
  
He had talked to the doctors – the real ones – about the situation he found himself in. Shiro wasn't able to remember that he indeed was married even after a week, which made it hard for Keith to come up with a enough excuses to visit him daily. To his biggest surprise did the staff encourage him to go on about it since it also meant that he could talk to Shiro about things only the both of them knew which would help in his healing process.  
The receptionist was even so kind to get him a uniform so he could also look that part.  
  
So Keith drove to the hospital in the morning and left in the evening his own plans for the flower-shop forgotten. He didn't mind as long as it meant to spend time with the man he loved.  
Shiro on the other hand seemed to be happy to have such a hard-working doctor at his service, as he called it. He never questioned why Keith seemed to know so much about his life or why he was spending the whole day with him.  
  
Maybe there was a part of him that still remembered Keith.  
  
The hours they spend together passed quickly as they played silly board-games – Shiro not able to move a lot due to his injuries – and Keith asking questions about his friends, family, job and hobbies. Anything really to draw out the memories. And it really seemed to work for Shiro quickly recalled everything about astrophysics and his own family, slowly remembering his friends and some activities he enjoyed.  
But nothing about Keith or their relationship.  
  
Whenever he was asked if he had someone he was seeing he thought for a moment, only shaking his head, “No, I am not dating... But... I don't know... It's a haze... There is a shape... A bright light, a firestorm and the most precious smile...”  
  
They just dropped the topic for the rest of the day then, focussing on other things.  
  
Every evening when Keith returned to their apartment he wanted to call out to Shiro that he was home only to be greeted with the worst kind of silence there was.  
He would break down, fall to his knees and let out a piercing wail. It hurt so much to see his husband like that and Keith couldn't do anything to help him! He wasn't even able to protect him from a mere accident...  
He cried until there were no tears left inside of him only to drag himself to bed, fall into the dark pit his sleep had become and start the circle anew.  
  
  
  
A month after the accident Shiro was released from the hospital which raised the question of how this should play out – he still couldn't remember Keith. Even the doctors were at a loss.  
Keith tried to remain composed when he helped Shiro to pack up his few belongings and lead him to the reception.  
  
“Are you going to be picked up, Mr. Shirogane or do you want me to get you a cab?”, the receptionist asked calmly, her eyes resting on Keith.  
  
“Oh... I... Ehm...”, Shiro seemed at a loss.  
  
“Mrs. Allura, we've got the last minute notice that Mr. Shirogane is going to be picked up in a few.”, Keith said as he caught on the game the receptionist was playing.  
  
This was a wild guess – and it appeared to be stupid at first – but it was the last possibility to drag those reluctant memories from Shiro's brain. He mouthed a _thank you_ towards Allura before he turned to Shiro again.  
  
“Mr. Shirogane it was a pleasure knowing you. I wish you the best with your recovery. Farewell.”, Keith extended his hand and tried to appear as professional as he could despite his hammering heart.  
  
“Thank you very much, doctor... For everything.”, Shiro seemed flustered when he took Keith's hand.  
  
As soon as he had walked around the corner Keith started to run, trying to get rid of the uniform in the process. This was his last chance, he had no idea how he should handle the situation if this failed. How should he explain that they lived together and were married on top of that if Shiro remembered almost everything by now but not him? Shaking his head he left through the side-entrance and dashed in the direction of the main entrance.  
There was no place for such thoughts. He had to trust Shiro and the eternal bond between them. Shortly before he reached the big glass doors he stopped to catch his breath.  
Straightening his spine Keith casually walked around the corner and entered the hospital yet once again. He gave Allura a wave as he approached Shiro who looked up to him, confusion all over his face.  
It wasn't working...  
  
Before he could say something however, the receptionist called over to him, “Mr. Kogane! What a pleasure to see you!”  
  
This made Shiro jerk his head up to look at her, before he froze. Slowly he turned to look at Keith, tears in his beautiful eyes.  
  
“Keith...”, he breathed before he shot up to standing and wrapped his arm around his husband, almost hitting him with the cast, “Keith... Keith... my... Keith.”  
  
Letting the relief finally flood through him, Keith couldn't help but smile through the tears, “Welcome home, Shiro.”  
  
  
  
_“I never thought that my given name would be the thing that would open up the doors to us.”_  
  
_“Hmm... I think it's not that far fetched, actually.”_  
  
_“How so?”_

_“Maybe because it's your name after all.”_  
  
_“What does that mean?”_  
  
_“Well, I met you as Keith Kogane, right? And it was you with that name who conquered my heart.”_  
  
_“I can't believe you said that... It sounds like it was a battle to be won!”_  
  
_“Not a battle, but a waiting game alright.”_


	5. Wonderland

“ _You know, we may have moved a few meters but it just dawned on me that I should've brought something to eat at least...”  
  
“I wouldn't mind some cake right now.”  
  
“Like in Alice in Wonderland?”  
  
  
  
_ He opened his eyes, blinking a few times against the single ray of sunlight that fell through the trees. He must've fallen asleep while he was reading on the new arrangements he had been asked to make. Stretching out his sore muscles he began to take in his surroundings, rising an eyebrow.  
Somehow he felt as if this was no longer the garden behind his flower-shop for the trees all had faces and the flowers danced to their own singing.  
Nothing seemed hostile in any kind of why... So why was this longing lingering, tugging at his heart as if something was amiss?  
  
As his gaze followed the trail that went from left to right only to split up in a dozen other ways he couldn't help but find the bright colours of the clouds disturbing.  
He got up and patted his shorts and shirt to get rid of the dirt.  
  
“It seems I must've fallen asleep and dreamed too strongly.”, he muttered, his eyes taking all the strange impressions in, “Isn't this one of those children's stories?”  
  
The thought of now being a part of the stories he had read as a kid somehow amused him. Wonderland seemed to be a nice place to be.  
Still, he must be worried about his whereabouts by now.  
  
But who was he?  
  
He felt as if something important was missing from his memories yet he couldn't quite recall what it might be.  
This thought made him finally set one foot in front of the other, walking straight towards the crossing. Thankfully he spotted road-signs just ahead, only to let out a groan as he was able to read them.  
  
\- This way! -  
  
\- That way -  
  
\- Probably here? -  
  
\- Maybe not? -  
  
“I must've gotten mad already!”, he huffed, trying to decide which road to follow.  
  
“Where is it, that you need to go?”, a playful voice asked him, making him turn and frantically scan the path he had come from, “Up. Maybe up? Or down?”  
  
He lifted his gaze up to the trees, where he found a boy with fuzzy brown hair, ears like a cat and a wagging tail. The biggest grin he had ever seen was painted on his face, which strangely reminded him of one of his friends...  
  
“Lance..? No... Who are you?”, he asked.  
  
The cat-boy snickered, “Some call me this, some call me that. I think I may have dropped the name somewhere...”  
  
This was strangely irritating, “How do you drop something as important as your name?!”  
  
“Oh, indeed... I should go and search it then!”  
  
The cat-boy started to disappear into thin air, making him take a few steps towards him, “Wait! Where do I need to go?”  
  
“Where do you need to be?”  
  
“I... I don't know, really.”  
  
By now, only the broad grin hovered in the air, “Then it doesn't matter which road you take, don't you think?”  
  
And with that, the strange creature was gone, leaving him none the wiser.  
  
“At least I still know my name... I think...”, he mumbled as he approached the road-signs yet once again, “My name is Keith... Or, was it?”  
  
  
  
Keith decided on the road right in the middle since the middle almost always had some advantages. At least he hoped it did. As he walked through thick shrubbery he ended up in what looked like a garden, where a party of some sorts seemed to be taking place. There was a long table placed in front of the house with dozens of different looking chairs, cups and all kinds of sweets in the most revolting bright colours.  
Despite the long table, the only three attending guests were crowded in a corner.  
  
From where he stood, Keith could make out a March Hare with a green tie and glasses, a Dormouse with a yellow headband, fast asleep on the table and a man with a big black hat. Just like with the cat-boy earlier did these three spark the feeling of familiarity. Still, it escaped him time and again.  
They seemed to be deep in conversation, their hands dancing through the air as Keith approached them, no other plan in mind.  
  
“There is no room at this table!”, the March Hare complained.  
  
“Surely we must call for the carpenter!”, the man with the hat answered.  
  
“Actually... There is plenty of room...”, Keith whispered for no one to hear, but he underestimated the Hare's ears for the both of them looked at him.  
  
“Looks like our guest arrived!”, the March Hare said followed by an amused sound.  
  
The man with the hat got up, walked up to Keith and bowed, “I'm afraid you're late...”  
  
“I wasn't even aware that I had been invited!”, Keith responded, his heart skipping a beat when the man looked at him with blazing eyes and a boyish smile.  
  
_I know you..._  
  
“Shiro, I am not sure he knows how to read!”, the Dormouse yawned, looking around with tired eyes.  
  
“Maybe the flying toast had lost it?”  
  
“...Toast?”, Keith couldn't help himself.  
  
The man with the hat – Shiro apparently – clapped his hands together, “That won't matter now. Let's not waste any more time and proceed to the fun part!”  
  
With that he took Keith's hand and dragged him over to the table to sit right next to him. Why was his heart hammering so loud? A shy glance up only made matters worse. There was this tugging at his heart again he couldn't quite place.  
  
“So, tell me.”, Shiro said as he sat down right next to Keith, beginning to cut the five-layer-cake in front of him with his plate, “Why is a raven like a writing-desk?”  
  
“What?!”, Keith stuttered, “Why is this even... Okay, wait, I've got this...”  
  
He honestly tried to wreck his brain to come up with a witty comment – which was more easily said than done for Shiro and the Hare started to cut the cups and drink them leaving only the tea hovering in the air – but he was a complete loss.  
  
Finally he let out a sigh and replied, “They are alike because they are not. They have nothing in common.”  
  
Shiro, the Dormouse and the March Hare stared at Keith for way too long, before the first jumped to his feet, grabbed Keith by the waist and lifted him up into the air as if it was nothing.  
  
“Delightful! Most splendidly! Charming indeed!”, he laughed, whirling Keith through the air, making him squeal a little, “Don't you think he's the right one, Pidge?”  
  
The March Hare thought about this for a while before it responded, “It would certainly benefit Time. He would be very pleased indeed! Hunk, pass the butter!”  
  
The Dormouse yawned again but did as he was told, throwing the butter right into the Hare's face, “It's the best butter...”  
  
“But it has crumbs in it!”  
  
“Still... the best... butter...”, and just like that the Dormouse fell asleep again while the Hare started to get rid of the butter with his knife.  
  
All the time Shiro held Keith up into the air, only letting go of him when the Hare himself seemed to have fallen asleep, butter still all over his fur. The Hatter only shook his head before he turned to Keith again, searching his face, his expression sincere, no trace of jokes or insanity to be found.  
It made Keith blush and he had no idea why.  
  
_Let me walk with you..._  
  
Without saying a thing, Shiro took him by the hand and started to walk towards the forest again. They passed fields of flowers talking in hushed voices, a river with walking fish in it and ended up on a glade. Once they arrived there, Shiro let go of Keith's hand.  
  
“You are not from here, are you not?”  
  
“I... don't know. I don't think so...”, why were his memories so hard to grasp?  
  
“I thought so... No one living here could solve the riddle...”, Shiro said, taking a pocket watch out of his trousers, “And it's already two and a half days past Midsday... What a shame...”  
  
He turned around to Keith, an almost sad expression on his face, making Keith suck in a sharp breath, “I want to say you have to stay but apart from the rhyme I have no power over time... So, where is it that you have to go?”  
  
The same question as the cat-boy had asked him earlier. And still he had not answer to that. No matter how hard he thought about it, nothing came to him. There was only this gnawing feeling of longing since he first lay eyes on Shiro. His face seemed to be so familiar, but why? What was this strong feeling of leaving this place when he was gravitating towards the Hatter?  
  
“As long as you don't know where you need to go it doesn't matter which road you take. But once you know, I would call it madness to not go there.”, the Hatter continued, almost as if he could read Keith's mind.  
  
“But isn't this true for everything?”  
  
This made Shiro pause for a moment, “So you wanted to end up at our tea-party?”  
  
Now it was his turn to think about this. What were his intentions when he walked down the road? What was he hoping to find at the end of the path?  
That was when something switched inside of Keith, jerking his head up to meet the Hatters gaze.  
  
“Shiro...”  
  
“That's my name. Or so I was told.”  
  
“No... It's not just a name... It's a place...”, Keith muttered under his breath, “It's there that I have to go!”  
  
A smile appeared on the Hatter's face.  
  
“I wanted to come home... I wanted to come home to you!”, tears had started to well up in Keiths eyes as he watched Shiro open his arms wide, inviting him in.  
  
Without missing a beat he ran into his arms, pressing his body against Shiro's, taking in the familiar scent. Just as he raised his head to look at him did his vision blurred and he blacked out.  
  
  
  
Once he was able to open his eyes again he almost instantly sat up straight, scanning the room. He was no longer in the weird Wonderland but in his very own bedroom at the hospital. The sun was shining brightly through the curtains, illuminating the room enough for Keith to see Shiro asleep in a chair right next to his bed. His mouth was hanging open a little as a small snore escaped him, making Keith giggle.  
  
The memories immediately came back to him. How he felt dizzy waking up but refused to stay home, only to black out a few hours into his shift from sheer exhaustion. His vision had gone black but he heard the turmoil around him before his mind refused to hold on any longer. It was scary, his whole body aching yet his mind was racing, panic starting to wash right through him.  
He was scared beyond words.  
Keith remembered that his last thought was with Shiro – something that continued in his dream – he just wanted to come back to him.  
He reached over to him and gently touched his cheeks, jolting him awake instantly.  
  
“Shiro... It's okay... You're awake now.”  
  
For a split second the two of them only looked at each other, taking the atmosphere in.  
  
“Keith... I am sorry... How are you feeling? How's you fever? Does your head still hurt? I was so worried when they called me, telling me you passed out at work...”, concern all over his face, Shiro got up and placed himself next to Keith on the bed, “They said you were on the brink to death... Your organs could've failed... You weren't breathing at some point..! I-I felt so helpless...”  
  
“I am all better now, don't worry...”  
  
“Keith, you've been asleep for almost an entire day! I thought I lost you...”, there were tears threatening to fall from Shiro's gorgeous eyes, “You know how fragile your health can be... I couldn't bear to lose you...”  
  
Shiro had waited for him to wake up again only to fall asleep from the exhaustion himself. It must've killed him inside to watch Keith twitch in his dream while he ran a high fever, nobody knowing if he would make it.  
But Shiro had trusted him – their connection so deep that he even appeared in Keith's dream to guide him back.  
  
Tenderly stroking his arm, Keith leaned against Shiro, closing his eyes, “You won't lose me... No matter what happens or how weird or hard things will get, I will always return home to you. I promise.”


	6. Bed-sharing

“Come on Keith, it's going to be super fun!”, the boy with the short brown hair looked at his friend with big eyes, pleading him to finally say yes.  
  
“Lance... I don't really think that it will turn out like in one of those movies.”, Keith sighed.  
  
“That's not where I'm getting at, my dear friend. All I am saying is that we're going to have a blast with everyone present and you finally get a chance to spend some time with Shiro. You know. ALONE!?”  
  
As Lance mentioned his name, Keith couldn't help but blush ever so slightly, averting his gaze. He cursed the day he told Lance, Pidge and Hunk about his crush. Several months ago, they were playing some video-games after work at Pidge's, when her brother came home with a friend to quickly eat something before they headed back to campus.  
The moment Keith lay eyes on Shiro – while he was having his mouth full with taco and looked like a hamster – he knew that it was _Game Over_ for him. It was as if a part of his heart finally surfaced, pounding against his chest forcefully, making Keith anxious that anyone would notice it.  
  
This was just ridiculous, he only just met this guy and his heart was all over the place already?!  
Yes, he had a gorgeous face, wild hair and a tender gaze and yes, his voice sent chills down Keith's spine. But he had no idea if his personality could match these first impressions.  
Like this, Keith tried his best to talk himself out of it but to no avail.  
  
They met time and again, and it turned out that Shiro indeed was as tender and charming as he looked. He cracked the most horrible jokes only to laugh the loudest, infecting everyone else. He listened intently, giving everyone the feeling to be the most important person in the room right at that moment. He loved video-games but was actually pretty bad at them which he never seemed to mind.  
With every meeting this feeling grew stronger in his chest.  
  
Whenever their eyes met, Keith had a hard time to contain his little hammering heart. How he wanted to just walk over to him and casually ask him out, but there was always this small part that held him back.  
After all, they've only talked a few times and never anything as profound. Approaching him out of the blue would just be awkward.  
  
His friends quickly caught up on his inner struggle, nudging him to just go ahead but he never did. It was enough to see him like that, to casually talk about this and that and to just admire him, right?  
Just it didn't feel right at all.  
As the weeks passed Keith felt as if he was suffocating from the unspoken words, trying his best to bottle up his feelings. It was after a long day at work and Hunk passing on the rumour that Shiro's been dating someone that Keith finally broke down and told them.  
Of course they suspected this but it was something else entirely to hear it from Keith himself.  
  
This was what gave birth to the idea to travel to a nearby village where Pidge's grandparents owned a small house and just spend a nice weekend out there, far away from the city. They could go out and hike or just bathe in the sun.  
A part of Keith liked the idea very much – there wouldn't be any distractions out there – but he still felt not brave enough to really move forward.  
  
“How long do you want to swoon over him from afar?”, Lance's voice brought Keith back into the present, his friend looking at him interrogatory.  
  
He was right, of course he was. With a racing heart Keith finally agreed to join them, hoping he could muster the courage until then.  
  
  
  
The small house turned out to be more of a loft than a simple building on the countryside. Keith and the others just stared at it once they left the car. It was such a modern-looking building with big windows, a balcony and even a pool at the backside.  
  
“This is crazy...”, Hunk muttered under his breath as he looked over to Pidge and Matt, both just shrugging.  
  
“No one ever asked what the house is like...”, Matt answered, sticking out his tongue before he started to walk towards the main entrance.  
  
They all followed, shaking their heads.  
As soon as they entered the house Lance and Pidge run upstairs to chose a bedroom, shooting knowing glances towards Keith who was too nervous about Shiro being so close to really react to this. When he finally went upstairs as well he finally understood what the glances were for.  
  
“I know the house looks pretty big from the outside, but my grandparents never had a thing for bedrooms so we have to share...”, Pidge explained, batting her eyelashes innocently, “I will share my old room with Matt, of course, Lance called dips on the room with the bunk-bed which he's going to share with Hunk so the last room would be Shiro's and Keith's.”  
  
They've set this up.  
They've tricked him.  
It was way too late to protest for there was no real reason to do so, but still, this didn't sit right with Keith.  
  
“I'm fine with it.”, Shiro said calmly, looking over to Keith, “I hope you don't snore!”  
  
He was fine with it.  
Of course he was...  
  
  
  
For the rest of the day the whole group just roamed around the house, checking out each and every room and hitting the pool at some point. Keith refused to join them for he was still a little angry with them. He understood where they were coming from, but being patronized like that went completely against his independent nature.  
As he stood in the kitchen – almost as big as their whole apartment – he contemplated what he could make for dinner, given the fact that he was starving and this was the perfect excuse to just stay inside, alone.  
  
“Do you need help?”, Shiro asked, making Keith jump a little.  
  
He looked at him with his big eyes, water dripping from his hair and naked upper body. Keith swallowed hard, forcing his voice to sound as calm and casual as possible.  
  
“Nah. I'm good. Besides, you're dripping all over the place.”  
  
This made Shiro look down and snicker a little, “Well, what did I expect... I will be back in a minute.”  
  
With that he walked upstairs to get changed, ignoring Keith's answer completely.  
His mind racing, Keith had no idea how to remain his composure once Shiro would come back down. Breathing deeply he opened the fridge and grabbed some vegetables, hoping for the best.  
  
  
  
Once Shiro had closed the door behind him, he let out a deep sigh.  
He did it.  
He was able to play it cool while finally getting the chance to spend a little time alone with Keith. He always appeared so calm, his dark eyes looking at the world in wonder, it made Shiro's heart skip a beat, time and again.  
It's been like that since he first met him at Matt's, when Keith was playing some jump'n'run with his friends, his eyes glued to the screen, his face shining with glee. When he looked up and met his gaze, Shiro's whole world was finally coloured in.  
  
And yet he was never brave enough to approach Keith to ask him if they wanted to go see a movie together or to a museum or whatever he could think of.  
Matt was trying to persuade him to make a move, shaking his head whenever Shiro did not make a move, telling him to not wait forever.  
This weekend trip was just the perfect opportunity and Shiro had to take it.  
As he got changed in some casual clothes he only hoped that his wits would not leave him.  
  
  
  
Preparing dinner gave both of them a reason to talk about their jobs, hobbies and music among other things.  
Keith quickly realized that Shiro was easy to talk to for he always knew something interesting to contribute and, yes, even his bad jokes were placed perfectly.  
They just talked all the way through the cooking and even when everyone sat down to eat were they not able to see anything else but each other. Not even the knowing glances from their friends could stop them.  
  
After dinner Matt placed an ancient looking version of D&D on the table which caused everyone to cheer. They quickly decided on a campaign, splitting the group into teams.  
As the evening progressed Keith slowly inched closer to Shiro who in turn leaned over, both steadily closing the distance between them, until their shoulders almost casually touched.  
Neither moved away.  
Almost by accident did Keith's hand rested on Shiro's and yet again, he was met with no resistance. Only after the thought about the rumour crossed his mind did Keith moved away from him, biting his lower lip.  
For the rest of the evening he remained quiet and only moved if necessary.  
  
  
  
Their campaign took a while longer than expected, almost cancelling out the issue about sharing a bed with Shiro. Only after he got changed and stood in front of the bed did Keith realize that there was no way this would go down well. He hadn't been able to keep to himself when they played a board-game, who knows what would happen when he was asleep?  
With a gloomy face he grabbed a pillow and blanket and lay them on the floor.  
  
“What are you doing?”, Shiro asked his eyebrow raised.  
  
“I am taking the floor. You can have the bed.”, he replied simply, too exhausted to explain anything.  
  
It would've been the perfect moment, especially after Shiro had shown no signs of reluctance downstairs. Surely talking should not be a problem?  
Clenching his teeth Keith couldn't help but curse his own stupidity.  
If Shiro would not return his feelings in the slightest, it would be awkward... It would kill him. Furthermore, he might have someone already and Keith was not the one to play around with this.  
He had simply no place in Shiro's life.  
How could he even think about it in the first place?!  
  
“You're most certainly not sleeping on the floor. The bed is big enough for two.”, Shiro crossed his arms and calmly looked at Keith.  
  
There was a silence enveloping them, a tension starting to fill the dim room.  
Shiro was the first to let out a sigh.  
  
“What is this really about? You want me to ask the others if someone would swap with me? Is that it?”, there was nothing but warmness in his tone.  
  
“I... No... It's fine. They are probably asleep by now.”, he tried weakly.  
  
Another deep breath, “Keith... What have I done? We've had a blast cooking – I know I had – and then halfway through the game you suddenly give me the cold shoulder. Was it something I said?”  
  
“It's... nothing. Really. It's fine.”, Keith almost begged.  
  
He knew that if Shiro would continue to question him he would tear down the walls eventually.  
  
“You don't look fine.”  
  
“But I am.”  
  
“You are really stubborn, aren't you?”, was there a slight hint of amusement in Shiro's voice?  
  
“You too...”, Keith replied before he could bite back the words.  
  
“How so?”  
  
This finally threw him over the edge. Months of keeping his feelings to himself certainly had taken a toll on him. He turned to face Shiro, eyes round, blazing, his voice shaking.  
  
“I told you to leave me alone cooking but you didn't. You just came straight back and, yes, I had a blast as well. But... That's so mean of you... You probably don't know, but it's teasing me.”  
  
“Keith...”, Shiro breathed, surprise painted all over his face.  
  
“All you ever do is tease me. It was the same while playing the campaign. Why are you doing this?”  
  
“I... What do you mean?”  
  
“Since you stepped into Pidge's apartment you've been in my orbit... Or I am in yours to be more precise. You're pulling me in but... that's not right...”  
  
At this, Shiro walked over to Keith, gently lifting his head with his fingers, “Why isn't it right?”  
  
Keith froze at this, Shiro's eyes taking him in, only seeing him. There was no doubt in his tender expression, only an unspoken truth. He knew right then that he may have been blind this whole time. Or he was just too scared to see, the possibility to lose it all with just one wrong move imminent.  
But maybe, just maybe, he had to be brave just for a split-second.  
  
Without thinking, Keith got onto his toes and leaned into a kiss.  
He had kissed a few girls back in high school, but nothing ever prepared him for this.  
The warmth, the promise, the impossible, the infinite...  
_Shiro._  
  
When they finally separated again Shiro's voice was hoarse, “This feels awfully right to me...”  
  
They were so close, Keith could feel Shiro's quickened heartbeat against his chest, the dreamy look on his face waving all lingering doubts away.  
  
“Since... when...”, he asked shyly.  
  
Shiro didn't answer at first, his eyes taking every little detail in, before he lifted Keith up and gently placed him in the middle of the bed before he lay down next to him, his fingers tracing Keith's jawline, sending a shiver up and down his spine.  
This really felt right, as if two became one again.

“I wonder... It feels as if I've been waiting for you my entire life...”  
  
“You're not only good-looking, you're also romantic? I am impressed!”  
  
“Mr. Kogane, who's teasing now?”, he chuckled before he leaned in for another kiss.  
  
  
  
_“Everything happened so fast...”_  
  
_“We've been pining each other for months, how's that fast?”_  
  
_“Hmm... Still, I am impressed I remained as cool as I did... You really bewitched me, Keith.”_  
  
_“The same goes for you, Mr. Shirogane.”_  
  
_“Keith, stop teasing me!”_  
  
_“Never!”_


	7. Scars

It's been an hour by now since Shiro joined Keith in the Highway, and the traffic jam was only gradually dissolving. After taking a stroll down memory lane, they've both fallen silent, each following his own train of thought.  
The rain was still falling relentlessly when the car came to another stop, making Keith groan. They've only managed a couple of hundred metres so far, it was beyond annoying.  
  
“This is taking forever already...”, he mumbled while he massaged his temples.  
  
“I don't mind as long as I am with you.”, Shiro replied silently, making Keith smile a little.  
  
He reached over and took Shiro's hand, placing kisses on each finger before he snuggled his face against it, Shiro tenderly stroking his cheek. The sound of the falling raindrops was calming, the minds of the two man still racing. It was Keith who broke the comfortable yet tense silence first.  
  
“It struck me that no matter what happened in the past, I never once had the thought of just leaving.”, he swallowed hard, “When I lost you after the accident, I only ever thought about how I could make you fall for me again... Like in that one movie in which the female lead has severe memory-loss? It hurt to see you not remembering all that we've been through, but as time went on I just started to make plans to just start anew. I didn't mind as long as you were by my side.”  
  
He could see that Shiro blushed a little at his words, “I think I've never told you that I indeed was falling for you at that point...”  
  
“You did?!”  
  
Shiro tilted his head to one side and looked at Keith, his eyes shining brightly, “How could I not? You've been The One right from the start. The moment I saw you I knew that I've been waiting for you my whole life.”  
  
Now it was Keith's turn to blush. He looked over his shoulder where he placed the bouquet at the back seat and breathed deeply.  
  
“Shiro... I am sorry.”, he began his voice shaking, “I shouldn't have just walked out this morning and I shouldn't have screamed at you for there was no reason. Of course I understand why you declined it was just... I want for you to walk your own bath. You've been giving up so much for me when we moved out here and you had to quit the job at the university back home and you've been nothing but supporting me with my shop... I should have tried to understand right there...”  
  
Keith fell silent, the strong feeling of remorse washing through him, bringing tears to his eyes. He knew he had done his husband wrong who only tried to protect him and keep him safe. Yet he rewarded him with a silly fight...  
  
“There is nothing for you to apologize for, Keith. I should've talked to you about it either way, even if my mind was set. You are stronger than you think you are and I patronized you, despite never thinking about it like that. Moving out here where we came with the others and where I asked you to marry me is nothing but the right place to be for me. I would follow you anywhere in this world as long as I can be there with you.”, Shiro's voice was tender with a hint of hurt.  
  
“But your career...”  
  
He laughed at this, “I couldn't care less about it. All I ever wanted was to watch the stars and understand the universe a tad bit better. And that is what I am doing everyday when I wake up next to you.”  
  
Keith had no idea how to respond to Shiro laying his heart open, showing nothing but support and kindness even after Keith must've hurt him tremendously.  
That was when it hit Keith. Something that all the stories they've talked about and this stupid fight had in common.  
  
Whenever something bad happened, plans couldn't be executed or communication failed, they would still find a way around it. Things were not perfect, but being with Shiro just made even the most mundane task an adventure. This already started after that D&D campaign and it kind of became the theme of their life together.  
Looking over to Shiro who followed the falling raindrops with his gaze, made Keith's heart swell. No matter what the universe threw at them, they would make it through, they would always find a way home.  
  
Maybe this is what ' _falling in love at the most unexpected time_ ' meant?  
  
“After you've stormed off this morning, I felt so lost... I couldn't help but think of a life without you and how it would not be worth a dime...”, Shiro whispered still not looking at Keith.  
  
“I was that angry?”, he felt his throat tighten.  
  
“You just looked at me as if you wanted to have me gone... I know it's stupid and you would not leave without saying a word... But at that moment it was all I could think about.”  
  
Both fell silent again, Keith having a hard time to not start crying right there, his own heart all over the place.  
  
“Then I thought that maybe... Maybe that's what happens when you love someone with every fibre of your being.”, finally Shiro looked over to Keith, “You just offer your heart and lay bare your every soul... Of course you get hurt over time.”  
  
He reached over to Keith taking both of his hands and placed them on his chest, right above his heart, “I remember every fight, every time you've been sick, every misunderstanding and every failed plan. And it hurts.”  
  
“Shiro...”, he breathed but it was only met with a shake of his head.  
  
“But I also remember all the mornings with you. All the vacations we've been on, all the sunburns I had to tend to. Every smile and every laughter you've gifted me. I remember how proud I was when you opened your shop and how my heart swells with every day you return from it with this faint scent of flowers. My heart may be scarred but it is filled with all those unforgettable moments, all the feelings I have for you and you alone. Maybe it's not a lot but it is all I have and it is what I am giving you every day, for as long as I breathe.”  
  
Keith couldn't help himself and only looked at Shiro, his heart beating out of control, his face flushed, his mind racing. His hands were still resting in his husband's chest, feeling the quickened heartbeat beneath layers of fabric. Shiro was right.  
They would continue to hurt and hurt each other, they were only human.  
The universe would not stop to throw problems onto their path.  
But that was not all there was.  
  
Looking up he saw every possibility, every dream and every answer in Shiro's eyes.  
It took his breath away.  
  
A quick glance outside showed him, that it was still pouring down, no signs of sunlight anywhere to be found. The cars haven't moved for the past ten minutes as all.  
  
Taking Shiro's hands he looked up and asked coyly, “Would you do me the honour and dance with me?”  
  
  
  
There was no music, no dancefloor, no nice suits.  
Just the two of them, swaying to and fro, a big smile on their faces. They couldn't care less if anyone looked at them or thought them insane for they had only eyes for each other.  
They were wet through and through, their hair dripping, their eyes aflame.  
  
Keith looked up to Shiro, cupping his face in his hands, “In every universe, in every possibility, it will always be you. I will find you. As many times as it takes. I love you, Takashi.”  
  
Shiro blushed at the use of his given name, "Yes... you found me... I love you, Keith."

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/justhinothings)  
> as well :3


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